Ginny Weasley and the Chamber of Secrets
by Kat713
Summary: Follows Ginny Weasley at Hogwarts and how she dealt with the things going on over the years. Focuses mainly on the silver trio  Luna, Ginny and Neville . I'm trying to stay as close to possible to cannon while still adding a bit of head cannon in.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

She could barely breathe as she finally stepped onto the train. She was so excited she hadn't even waited for her brothers but climbed in ahead of them staring around at the compartments and students. She recognized and quickly avoided Draco Malfoy and his groupies. She was still pushing through the crowd when Fred and George slipped past her each grabbing a sleeve of her jumper yanking her through the crowd. They stopped when they reached a compartment with two of their friends inside that Ginny recognized from their stories. George shoved her inside. "Go wave to mum before she lays an egg." She couldn't help but beam as she stuck her head out the window waving to her parents. Her mom was frantically looking around though, it seemed as if she'd dropped something. Her dad was turned around, craning his neck to see over the crowd.

"Ginny-" Fred called. She pulled her head back in to look at him. "This is Lee," he pointed to the boy with dark hair and skin. "and this is Angelina. She's one of the best chasers Gryfindor's ever seen." Angelina blushed and swatted at him.

"Ok little sister, welcome party's over. Go find your own friends." George said, waving her off. She felt a little embarrassed but it was still really nice of her brothers to introduce her to their friends. When she entered the hall, it was mostly empty and all but one of the compartments was filled. The girl inside looked to be about her age but looked as different from Ginny as possible. She had long blond hair and wore what looked like radishes as earrings, had her wand tucked behind an ear, and wore the most spectacularly ridiculous glasses Ginny had ever seen. Ginny knocked lightly on the door. The girl inside looked up at her abruptly. "H-Hi." Ginny muttered shyly. "I'm Ginny. Mind if I sit down?" the girl shook her head and Ginny took the seat across from her.

"I'm Luna Lovegood." The girl said, reaching her hand out. Ginny shook it lightly, glancing at her magazine. "It's the Quibbler. My Dad's the editor. Would you like one?" Ginny nodded and took one. It seemed to be the most outlandish thing she'd ever read but she skimmed through the whole thing to be polite. When she reached the last page, she set it on the seat, watching the quidditch players in the ads zoom all around on new Firebolts.

"So. Are you a first year too?" Ginny asked her. Luna nodded, setting her magazine and glasses down to dig around in her bag a bit.

"Yes. My dad will be rather lonely without me but he understands how important proper training is to a young witch's mind." She pulled a handful of what Ginny recognized as Honeydukes candies and a small carton of chocolate frogs. "These were my going away present. He'd hoped I could share them with some new friends. Have some." Ginny blushed. She'd never had a real friend before, just brothers and cousins.

"What about your mum?" Ginny asked, unwrapping and sucking on a sugar quill.

"My mum liked to experiment with her spells. One day one of them went quite badly. I was nine." Ginny almost choked on her candy. She couldn't imagine life without her mum.

"I'm so sorry. Is she- did she-" Ginny caught herself, horrified. This must've been terrible for Luna to talk about and here she was asking questions. "No, I'm sorry, you don't need to answer that."

"No, no. That's okay. Yes, she died. It was rather horrible. But my Dad and I've got each other. That makes things easier." She said, chewing on a licorice wand. "What about you? What's your family like?" Ginny sucked on her sugar quill a bit before answering.

"Big. Really big. And fun. And silly." She said, remembering the year before. They'd sent her a Hogwarts toilet seat. Her mum had almost fainted when this big brown box carried by 4 school owls and Errol came soaring in through the open window and onto the table where they'd been folding clothes. "I have six brothers."

"Wow. Six? I don't have any brothers or sisters. Tell me about them?" Luna asked, settling into her seat, pulling her robes over her like a blanket and nesting a small pile of sweets in her lap.

"Well let's see," Ginny started. "Bill's the oldest- and might be the coolest. He has a ponytail and an earring with a fang in it. He's a curse breaker for Gringotts. He's in Egypt now, getting into tombs and finding all sorts of interesting things to bring back. Then there's Charlie. He left Hogwarts not long ago. He played quidditch. They said he was the best thing to happen to the team in years. He likes dragons. Works with them in Romania right now. Percy's in his fifth year now. He's my brother and I love him I guess but he's not very fun and can be a real prat sometimes. He's really clever but he likes to tell on the twins when they're up to something." Luna perked up.

"You have twin brothers? Do they look exactly alike?" Ginny laughed.

"Not exactly but mostly. I think Fred's probably got a scar from a quidditch accident in the field behind our house but I can't remember what exactly happened. He and George are third years. They love pulling pranks and sometimes let me help. Last year they sent me a Hogwart's toilet seat."

"Why?" Luna asked puzzled. Ginny shrugged.

"No idea. To see if they could get away with it. Or maybe just to irk mum. They're on the quidditch team too. They're both beaters. I've been trying for years to let me practice with them but they never do. Ron's in his second year now. He's a big quidditch fan but isn't on the team yet. He's best friends with Harry Potter." Ginny blushed deeply.

"I'd heard he was at Hogwarts now." Luna said, examining the chocolate frog card she'd just pulled out of her box.

"He spent the last 4 weeks at my house in Ottery St. Catchpole." Ginny said shyly.

"Really?" Luna asked, jolting upright. Ginny had expected people to want to hear all about what it had been like to spend so much time with Harry Potter. "I live near Ottery St. Catchpole too!"

"Wow." Ginny'd never met any of their neighbors before. They all lived rather far away. "My house is really tall. We've several stories piled on top one another because there's so many of us. There's a ghoul that lives in our attic."

"My house is rather tall also. We've a stream behind our house and dirigible plum bushes next to the door."

"What are dirigible plums?" Ginny asked. Luna tapped her earring with a finger.

"They're a fruit. They enhance the ability to accept the extraordinary." She took another chocolate frog from the box and passed one to Ginny. "So you've told me about your brothers. What are your mum and dad like?"

"My dad works at the Ministry. He's the head of Misuse of Muggle Artifacts. Kind of crazy about muggle things, my dad. My mum stays at home. Until this year, I was always home with her. This will be the first year she hasn't had any of us in the house in years. She's got it pretty bad for Professor Lockhart but would never admit it. Made a bit of a fool of herself in Flourish and Botts over him a couple days ago."

"I saw that in the Daily Prophet. He is rather handsome, but he doesn't seem very clever does he?" Ginny laughed loudly. She'd have never expected anyone but Ron to say something like that about a Hogwarts teacher.

"No, I suppose not, but it's not like they have people lining up for the job, have they?"

"Lining up for what, might I ask?" A small boy poked his head into their compartment, a camera swinging around his neck. He looked even younger than they did.

"We were just talking about the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher and how hard it's been for Dumbledore to find anyone willing to take the job." Ginny answered him. She shoved her knapsack to the floor and motioned for him to join them.

"Well, he's very famous. Have you read his books? Of course he wouldn't be afraid of some cursed job when he's taken on banshees and werewolves."

"True I suppose. But I guess we'll see at the end of the year if the curse is real or not. For his sake, I hope he fares better than the last DADA professor." Ginny replied, waving her chocolate frog card for emphasis. "For our sake too! I don't want anyone with You-Know-Who sticking out the back of his head teaching classes!"

"You-Know-Who?" the boy beside her asked. Both Ginny and Luna looked at him like he had grown a third head.

"Yeah. You-Know-Who. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. One of the darkest and most powerful wizards of all time?" Ginny stated, staring at him, stunned. She'd never met anyone who didn't know You-Know-Who.

"OH, Him!" the boy shouted, nearly jumping out of his seat. Ginny half expected him to hide under his seat. "Yeah I read about him. Suppose he was a pretty bad guy, huh?"

"You suppose?" Ginny asked angrily. You-Know-Who's followers had killed two of her uncles and countless others, including Harry's parents. The young boy had the grace to look sheepish.

"Sorry. I forget. My parents are muggles. I'm still learning everything." Ginny had only ever met one other muggle born before, Ron's friend Hermione. Her dad would be thrilled. She stuck out her hand.

"Forget it." He shook her hand. "I'm Ginny Weasley. This is Luna Lovegood." Luna waved to him with a chocolate frog before tossing it into her mouth and passing him one.

"I'm Colin Creevey."

"Do you know what house you want to be sorted into?" Ginny asked him.

"I want to be a courageous Gryffindor." He announced, straightening his back regally. Luna snorted. Ginny privately thought he'd make a better Hufflepuff. "What about you two?" he asked, settling back to stare at his chocolate frog box in wonder.

"I think I'd like to be in Ravenclaw, like my parents. Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure." She recited the last part proudly, like it was a line from a play. She looked hurt when Ginny didn't understand what she was talking about. "It's the motto of Ravenclaw's house."

"Oh. Sorry," Ginny replied quickly, "but my family's been in Gryffindor for as far back as anyone can remember."

"Does that mean you will be too?" Colin asked excitedly.

"Not really. My dad says even though every Weasley for years has been in Gryffindor, the hat doesn't always put families together. It's all about you as a person, what your personality is like."

"A _hat_ can tell what your personality is like?" Colin asked, bewildered. Ginny laughed.

"Yeah! Of course!"

They swapped stories until the sweets trolley came by. Colin bought a package of Bertie Botts Every Flavor beans but both Luna and Ginny –both knowing better, from past experiences- refused when he offered to share. Ginny had pulled out her sandwich her mum had made for her when Hermione poked her head into their compartment. "Ginny. There you are. Have you seen Ron or Harry?" Ginny blushed at Harry's name and tried to answer her around the bite of sandwich she'd just taken.

"Doh. Oo habent been dem?" Hermione shook her head.

"Honestly, you must've learned that from Ronald." Ginny cleared her throat and coughed.

"No. You haven't seen them?" Ginny felt a little concerned. Harry and Ron had practically talked about nothing but Hermione over the past few weeks. Why would they now not want to spend time with her? Hermione looked worried.

"No. Not since… well since the platform really. Neville and I have been searching for them for a while now."

"Maybe they're hiding. Might be trying to pull a prank on Fred and George for once."

"Maybe…" Hermione still looked anxious. Ginny could very clearly imagine Ron shaking his head declaring: "That girl worries too much." She smiled.

"I'm sure they're fine, Hermione." Hermione nodded and said goodbye. Ginny stared out the window a bit, nibbling on her sandwich some but had somewhat lost her appetite. The fields outside the train were turning to woods rivers and hills. She wondered if anything might've happened to them.

"Don't worry, Ginny." Colin said. "Your parent's have got magic. They'll find them. That is, if they're even lost at all. They're probably just busy or playing a joke. Here, have some beans. We can make a game of it." Luna perked up.

"What kind of game?"

"Well we each reach in and pick one at random and eat it, no matter what it looks like. Then we have to guess what flavor it is." Luna set down her chocolate frog cards.

"Okay."

Ginny shrugged, "Sure." He held the bag out to them.

They found broccoli, chocolate, bubble gum, grape jelly, bacon and baked beans before Colin found one that tasted like dirt and Luna one that she reckoned was soap. They spent quite a while explaining each candy to Colin and how it tasted and where to buy more while he took pictures of his new friends and the train compartment. Before they knew it, Percy slid open the compartment door.

"Ginny. Get your robes on. We're nearly there. And have you seen Ron?" Ginny again felt that strong twinge of worry. She shook her head. He huffed, frustrated and stomped off, complaining about something. As they each pulled their robes on over their clothes, Ginny felt silly in her faded robes that were too long. She was nervous about everything it seemed- about Ron and Harry's disappearance, about her sorting, about starting classes and trying new spells, and about learning to ride a broomstick. Though she wouldn't admit it, she was equally excited as frightened of riding a broomstick. She'd always loved quidditch and though her brothers never taught her to fly, she'd snuck out at night and during the school year sometimes to fly their brooms without anyone knowing. She felt she did fairly well but was so afraid of being caught by her mum it wasn't nearly as fun as she'd hoped. They were shoveling the remains of Luna's candy into her trunk when the train rolled to a stop.

They filled through the thick crowd and onto a small dark platform. Ginny pointed to a lamp bobbing in the distance and grabbing Colin and Luna's arms. "That must be Hagrid! He's gamekeeper and really close to H-Harry-" she finished shyly. "He'll take us across the lake I think."

"Firs' years! Firs' years over here! Follow me!" They followed Hagrid down a steep and narrow path. As they neared a bend in the road, Hagrid called back to them again. "And- Now there's yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts." Most the group gasped in awe as they stared at the massive castle across a great black lake. "Now pick a boat, no more'n four in one!" Colin, Ginny, Luna and another student climbed into one, shivering. It was very cold being so near the water. "Everyone in?" Hagrid questioned, turning around in his own little boat. "Right. Now- FORWARD!" With that, the boats moved off at once, gliding across the lake, toward the castle. There was almost no noise. Everyone seemed to be enchanted by the castle.

Hagrid ordered them to keep their heads down as the boats carried them trough a curtain of ivy hiding a wide opening in the cliff below the castle, through a dark tunnel, until they reached a kind of harbor, built right into the sides of the tunnel. They clambered out of the boats and followed Hagrid up a passageway, each of them having to take several steps to match one of his. At last, they arrived on the grass right outside the huge front doors of the castle, climbing the stairs and crowding around Hagrid. He glanced around "E'ryone still here? Havn't lost anyone have we?" When he seemed satisfied, he lifted a huge fist and knocked on the door three times.

…..


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The door opened soundlessly to reveal a tall, stern looking woman that Ginny instantly recognized from her brother's stories. Several times over the summer, she had heard about the time Professor McGonagall had dragged by the ears to detention after bewitching several snowballs to chase Quirrell around, pelting him in the back of the head. That particular story had become much more popular after Harry had revealed why the DADA professor actually wore the turban. She smiled. Not many first years could say that their brothers had pelted He Who Must Not Be Named in the face with snowballs. McGonagall frowned, though Ginny wasn't sure if she was frowning at Hagrid or the students. Behind them, Hagrid cleared his throat importantly. "The firs' years, Professor McGonagall."

"Thank you, Hagrid. Follow me, students." And with that, she turned on her heel and marched and into the magnificent entrance hall. She lead them to a small room off to the side of the hall, where it sounded as most the school already sat. "Welcome to Hogwarts. I am Professor McGonagall. The start-of-term feast will take place after your sorting. The Sotring is important because, while you are here, your house will be like your family within Hogwarts-"

A nervous hush enveloped the group as she turned from them, but Ginny ignored them. She had six brothers. Surely, she knew what to expect. Luna seemed oblivious to the jitters her classmates had just found and was staring around with her eyes wide and mouth slightly open. "Daddy had told me it was lovely, but I hadn't pictured this." Ginny winced for her new friend as her voice carried loudly through the halls. McGonagall stiffened but kept walking briskly. She glanced over her shoulder, pinning Luna with a hard glare.

"I'm certain your opinion of the castle is enlightening, Ms. Lovegood, but it will have to wait. You may start your letter after the ceremony." She opened the door ahead of her, ushering them in. Luna stared at her, eyes wide.

"I've read of Professor Trelawney. Do you have the inner eye also?" McGonagall huffed, her nose turned up.

"I teach Transfiguration, Ms. Lovegood. Now if you're quite finished?" Luna nodded airily and McGonagall launched back into what sounded like a rehearsed speech about the houses. "The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes. I suggest you smarten yourselves up, as you'll be in front of the entire school." Her eyes lingered a moment on Luna's butterbeer cap necklace but Luna was staring straight up at the ceiling. "I shall return when we are ready for you. Please wait quietly."When the door snapped shut behind her nearly every voice in the room broke into hushed conversations.

"That wasn't very smart thing to ask, Luna." Colin, said staring around. Luna made a noise remarkably similar to the one McGonagall had just made.

"There is no such thing as a foolish question." She said crossly, folding her arms over her bag.

"How do they sort you into houses?" Colin asked Ginny, nervously fidgeting with his camera.

"The hat is infested with Nargles." Luna said tersely. Colin looked back to Ginny, terrified. She wasn't sure if Luna was being serious or was just taking the mickey out of him. She took pity and explained anyway.

"My brothers Fred and George say it's a hard potions test but they're usually not very trustworthy. My mum and my other brother's friend say they put a hat on you."

"That's it?" he asked laughing nervously.

"Well, the hat tells you which house you'll be in. My dad supposes it's bewitched to think like the original founders so that it knows for sure where you'll fit in best."

A throat cleared behind them. "The Sorting is about to start. Follow me please." As they entered, Colin couldn't resist lifting his camera and snapping a quick photo of the night sky through the ceiling. McGonagall turned and glared at him when she heard the sound. She placed a four legged stool in front of the first years and set an old tattered wizards hat on top of it. It opened it's mouth to sing just as Ginny began to scan the crowd for familiar faces. She easily spotted Fred and George telling what looked like a hilarious joke to a group of girls. Ginny grinned and continued her search. Percy wasn't far from them, staring ahead, politely. Hermione Granger, whom Ginny had just met a few weeks ago in Diagon Alley was not far from them, a large book already opened up against a bronze pitcher. She too seemed to be craning around looking for someone. And then the realization hit Ginny like a blow to the stomach. Ron and Harry were still missing.

When the hat had finished and the applause had died out, McGonagall unrolled a piece of parchment and began reading aloud. "Creevy, Colin." The boy beside her froze. McGonagall glared at him. Ginny nudged him forward some and he stumbled over to McGonagall. She lifted the hat from the seat and he plopped down. When she put the hat on his head, it slipped all the way down to his nose. It was still only for a second before the seam in the front opened wide like lips shouting-

"GRYFFINDOR!" The table clapped merrily for him and she was pretty sure the whistles she heard were coming from George and Fred. Colin scuttled off the stool and towards the tables. In his hurry he almost sat down at the Hufflepuff tables before they gently pushed him towards the Gryffindor table. Ginny tried to pay attention but her nerve had all but dissolved when she realized that one of her brothers was missing.

It felt like forever, waiting for McGonagall to read through all the names. Much quicker than she'd have liked Luna was called forward. The second the old hat brushed her blonde hair it cried out- "RAVENCLAW!" The Ravenclaw table clapped loudly but no one shouted or whistled quite as loud as when Gryffindor gained a student. She'd been able to ignore it with her new friends beside her but as Ginny stood before the whole school with just a few other students in her year she felt the gnawing of anxiety. She wasn't very brave. She was too afraid to fly a broomstick in daylight and too afraid to talk to Harry Potter. She was afraid for her brother and for Harry and was petrified by all they'd done last year. She could never do what they'd done. She could never be a real Gryffindor.

And while she was staring at her shoes telling herself this, McGonagall called her name a second time. She looked up at the sound of an ear splitting whistle coming from the Gryffindor table. McGonagall motioned her forward impatiently, glaring at the table. Ginny stumbled forward, searching the crowd. Fred and George were standing up at the back of the room waving wildly and silently. She giggled. As she walked the rest of the way to the table she saw Colin give her a thumbs up and Hermione beaming at her over her book. Suddenly she felt much better. She remembered the time Charlie had performed a levitation charm on her. Yes, she decided, sitting down on the chair proudly. She felt just like walking on air. When McGonagall lowered the hat over her head, a loud voice echoed around her.

"Oh, another Weasley, eh? Oh, a witch, that's a rarity." She blushed deeply. "Hrm. What do you think, child?" Ginny said nothing but the first thing that popped into her head was the image of the entire Gryffindor table cheering madly for her, Ron and Harry running forward to hug her. "Ah, well, I suppose that settles it then- GRYFFINDOR!" And with that Ginny leaped off the chair beaming up at McGonagall. Fred and George were deafening the whole room with their shouting. Ginny couldn't see him but could just imagine Percy trying to crawl under the table in shame of his brothers. She waved to Luna as she passed and sat down beside Colin as Fred and George bounced over to her. They hugged her at the same time, so tightly she couldn't breathe.

"OH LITTLE GINNY!" Fred bellowed "How smashing to see you!"

"How delightful! It will be like we live in the same house!"

"We'll be like family!" She laughed shoving them off.

"Shut up will you!" she whispered harshly pointing at the head table. Dumbledore had just risen from his seat and was smiling at them. Simultaneously, they both crouched down to Ginny's level, silently smoothing her hair down and brushing off her robes. She really did try to listen to his speech but it was near impossible with her twin brothers doing everything they could to make her laugh. She did manage to get rid of them after Dumbledore sat down and food appeared before them.

"Fine, fine. Shoo us away if you will. See if we ever send _you_ a toilet seat again." She laughed again, smiling at Hermione. The older girl was turned away from her looking down the table. Ginny's heart sank suddenly. Where, she wondered, was her prat of a brother, Ron? As she loaded up her plate with roast chicken, boiled potatoes, peas and carrots, Percy walked down the table to her.

"I'm proud of you, Ginny." He said sticking his hand out as if expecting her to shake it. She lifted up her robes and launched herself at him, hugging him tightly.

"I'm your sister, you loon, not an old ministry witch. Oi, where's Ron and Harry?" he frowned tightly, pushing her back into her seat.

"I haven't seen them. Though when I do, they'll get a stern talking to. I've already sent off a note to our parents about them." She nodded turning back to her food. "I take it that means you haven't seen them either?" he asked Hermione over Ginny's head. Hermione shook her head grimly. "Well, that's that then." He said, patting her shoulder awkwardly before heading down the table to his own seat.

"You're Ron's sister then?" a plump boy sitting next to Hermione asked.

Ginny gave a small wave. "I'm Ginny."

"I'm Neville Longbottom. I'm in Ron, Harry and Hermione's year. This" He said, lifting an upturned jug, "is Trevor." A toad's nose popped out from under the pitcher before Neville hurriedly set it down again. Ginny looked at him oddly. "My toad. He's got a bit of a habit of getting lost." He shrugged and Ginny snickered a bit. "I lose him every few days but he always turns up." He glanced over at Hermione who was nearly out of her seat, craning around looking. "So I take it Harry and Ron have given everyone the slip?" he asked merrily.

Hermione plopped back into her seat with an angry grunt and propped her book in front of her face. Neville shrugged and turned to Ginny. "I haven't seen them since we got to the station." She said worriedly. Neville scoffed into his pumpkin juice.

"Oh come off it. You know what they did last year. I'll bet Ron talked about it all summer long." Ginny snickered. He _had_ talked about it all summer long. Not that she really minded, of course. "I'm sure they're fine." After a few bites of his dinner, he addressed her again. "So. Are you happy you're in Gryffindor?" she nodded brightly.

"Very much. But I was so nervous." Neville nodded smiling.

"I was nervous during my sorting too. Thought for sure I'd be in Hufflepuff. My Gran still says the hat was wrong."

Hermione spoke from behind her book. "The hat can't be wrong, Neville." One of her thin arms stretched around the book for a roll. Ginny pushed them under her searching fingers. "The founders themselves enchanted it. It says so in Hogwarts a History and the hat said so itself just last year." Neville scoffed.

"Well, obviously it was right with you three after what happened last year. I was afraid enough of that dog. Couldn't imagine taking on that, a troll, and Snape's test. Though you were the one who got past Snape's potions right?" Hermione blushed slightly.

"Really, Harry did most the work." She said, hiding behind her book. Neville turned to Ginny.

"She's lying." He said, taking a big bite of steak and potatoes. "I asked Harry last year and he told me she was brilliant. Saved his life and ran to tell Dumbledore as fast as she could."

"It was just a simple riddle, Neville." Ginny imagined she could see Hermione blushing all the way to the roots of her bushy hair.

"Yeah well, you're still definitely a Gryffindor in my book." Ginny smiled. Yes, she could definitely see Hermione blushing over her book. She could definitely see why Ron and Harry liked her so much. "So, Ginny. What are you looking forward to most?"

"Flying." She answered immediately. Hermione shook her head and settled back into her book.

"Flying?" Colin asked from her other side. She'd almost forgotten about him, he'd been so quiet. It seemed as if he'd been staring at the floating candles and refilling pitchers for the past several minutes. "On a broomstick? Like they do on telly?" Ginny laughed.

"Telly? The little electric box Muggles watch all day? Oh, my dad would love you." Neville looked at her, confused. "He's a bit of a nutter over Muggle stuff. Loves to take them apart to see how they work." She turned back to Colin. "And of course, on broomsticks, numpty. Don't tell me you've never heard of Quidditch?" he stared at her blankly and Neville burst out laughing.

Hermione came to his rescue as his face flushed red. "Oh for Heaven's sake, not you too. Ignore them, Colin. Quidditch is a Wizard sport-"

"_A wizard sport_?" Ginny cried, "Don't let her lie to you, Colin, Quidditch is _the_ wizard sport. Well there are two teams of seven players all on broomsticks. There are three Chasers, two Beaters, one Keeper and one Seeker. My brothers Fred and George-" Fred hooted and waved at her from a few seats down the table at the sound of his name. ginny rolled her eyes and continued on. "Those two red headed nutters down there are Gryffindor's Beaters. Harry's our Seeker. Everyone says he's the best Gryfindor's seen in years." Ginny blushed furiously and turned to Hermione who had already begun taking notes from one of her DADA books.

"Hermione, mind if I borrow-" before she'd even acknowledge her, Ginny slapped the scrap of parchment between her plate and Colin's and yanked a quill from her robes. "This here-" she said, using a bit of Hermione's ink to sketch a large oval, "- this is the pitch. Over here-" she drew 3 small circles at either side of the pitch. "- are the goal posts. It's the Chasers job to get the Quaffle-"

"That's a regular ball about this size." Neville said, holding up his hands up as if he were holding the quaffle.

"It's their job to get the quaffle in the other team's goal posts. They have to get past the Keeper to do that. He hovers about the posts keeping them safe-"

"Like football!" Colin exclaimed. Hermione's head popped up, smiling.

"Yes, Colin. The Keepers are very much like Goalies in football." She said quickly. Ginny wrinkled her nose.

"Pah. Quidditch is a thousand times better than some muggle sport that doesn't even leave the ground." Hermione huffed and returned to her book. "And then there's the Seeker. His job is to find the snitch." Colin blinked in confusion. "That's a little golden ball with wings about wee big." she held up her fingers about the size of a golf ball. "They used to use a little golden bird 'fore they started going extinct. Any how, this little bugger's near impossible to see and flies around as fast as it can. The game doesn't end till the snitch is caught. The team whose Seeker catches the snitch gets 150 points and almost always wins."

"Oi! Don't forget about us!" Shouted George who had been watching her explain from a few seats down. She stuck her tounge out at him and turned back to Colin.

"And while all that's going on the four Beaters are darting around with these bats trying to hit two other balls called Bludgers at the other team's players. Haven't had a bad accident here at Hogwarts for a long time but most professional Beaters can break bones when they get in a good shot."

"Barbaric, isn't it?" Hermione asked over her book.

"Barbaric? Are you insane?" Ginny shouted over her glass. "Quidditch is the very best thing about of Hogwarts!"

"Please! You're not serious-" a girl Ginny had never seen dropped into the seat beside Hermione. "- Uh oh, hello, Parvati."

"Have you heard?" she asked excitedly.

"Heard what?" Neville asked.

"Someone's crashed a car into that awful tree past the greenhouses. The Wailing- I mean the Whapping-"

"The Whomping Willow." Hermione corrected her quickly. "Crashed a _car_ into it? Surely you must have misheard."

"No, I didn't." Parvati insisted. "My sister said so. She said one of the Ravenclaw Fourth years saw it. She was just walking back from the loo and when she glanced out the window she saw it fly right into the Whomping Willow. Who knew muggle cars could fly?"

"They can't-" Hermione's voice caught in her throat and she glanced at Ginny, eyes wide.

"Anyway, she said right after it hit the tree, the tree started hitting back."Ginny's stomach dropped to the floor. "The car was pretty banged up but she said the two people seemed to be fine. Then she ran back in to tell everyone about it. When they went back out the car and the muggles were gone."

"Parvati," Hermione asked, "did anyone see what color the car was?"

"Blue, I think." Ginny couldn't restrain herself anymore. She let out a loud hoot and threw a roll to the twins.

"Oi! You two! Guess what Ron and Harry have done now?"

"Drowned Percy?" Fred asked, looking around. Catching sight of him, he sighed disappointed.

"Knocked out a troll?" George asked mildly, buttering the roll Ginny had chucked at him.

"_The car! _They flew the car here!" she was almost out of her seat, shouting to them. George's roll slipped into his lap and Fred's jaw dropped. She heard whispers skittering out behind her and imagined seeing the story flow through the hall like a wave.

"_No." _George said, dumbfounded. Fred was still stunned silent. Neville let out a bark of laughter.

"You're kidding. Harry and Ron got here in a flying blue muggle car?" Parvati shrugged.

"Someone did." And suddenly, the table exploded. People Ginny had never heard of were clapping her on the back, telling her she had to hand it to her brother, he certainly knew how to make a scene. Hermione quickly withdrew into her book and Percy looked so cross, Ginny wondered if he'd ever come untangled.

And so, for the rest of their dinner, Ginny and Neville talked about the flying car, her idiot brother, and Gryfindor's gutsy and insane Seeker. When everyone had returned to the Common room, without explaining how, George and Fred were sitting on crates of butter beer and passing out crème puffs. Everyone sat around talking about their summers and of course, what some came to call, the Whomping Weasley story. Ginny was sitting in a windowsill with another girl from her grade and Colin when the room erupted again. She just barely noticed the top of Ron's head before he disappeared into the whooping crowd. When they managed to avoid Percy, he caught her smiling and made a beeline for her. Downing her butter beer in one long drink, she said goodnight to her new friends and scurried off to bed.


End file.
